


Tremble.

by namelessjen



Category: Larry Stylinson - Fandom, One Direction
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-05-20
Packaged: 2018-03-31 12:37:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3978319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/namelessjen/pseuds/namelessjen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone knew their story, little Harry and little Louis, the "miracle survivors." The world stopped the day they were discovered, having just witnessed a terrible murder. Two boys, two completely different boys who will never forget that day every thing changed, it was their past, their present and there is someone out there who wants to make it their future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this two years ago, but never ended up finishing it. If you're interested in reading more please tell me! I would love to continue this story but I lack motivation without readers! So please let me know x

The shoes were polished, that's what Harry remembers so vividly. Even after six years he can still remember those shiny leather boots, his reflection stared back at his frightened face. He remembers Louis' tiny fingers hung over his quivering lips as they cramped under his single king mattress. Harry had been meaning to clean under his bed for a while, but never got around to it. Until that moment, being surrounded by old toys and hidden school books Harry hadn't realised the importance of cleaning up when being told would ever be so important.

That night was meant to be perfect. The boys had planned to stay up till ten, playing video games, watching their favourite movies and pigging out with gummy worms and Doritos. By the end of the night they were feeling sick, but it wasn't from sugar over load like they planned. The mention of blood, and more importantly-the smell made Louis sick even six years later. It was the thing he remembered the most. His little eyes popped out of his head when they ran into Gemma’s room to find her screaming for mercy as the masked killer slashed her to death. Every stab meant something, every time he raised his blade Louis closed his eyes in fear until he worked up the courage to grab his friend's hand and run. Those little legs ran as fast as they could up the Styles' staircase and straight into Harry's untidy bedroom.

Harry was scared out of his wits, maybe he was more affected, because of witnessing himself becoming an orphan right in front of his eyes. Louis held one finger against his lips, signaling for the other boy to be quiet. The atmosphere quickly changed, the screaming stopped, all the boys could hear was the sounds of their own hearts beating out of their little chests, and the faint footsteps that threatened coming closer. Harry gave Louis one last scared look just before they knew they were no longer alone. He felt his friend’s hand gently fold over his mouth, as he was just about to scream. They were going to die, that’s all he that was running through his mind. They were going to die just like the others, too small to fight back, too small to do any damage.

 

Harry had seen his father fight the killer, trying to save his family but even him; a strong, large man didn’t stand a chance when it came to the slasher’s weapons of choice. The trembling fingers brushed against his dried, quivering, tear stained lips, as the killer inched closer and closer to the bed they used for shelter, he was toying with the boys, making them sweat, looking around for them, waiting for his chance to pounce. Harry started praying silently, thanking God for his short fulfilled life, one that until that very day, he had found extremely satisfying. He prayed that Louis’ mother wouldn’t cry for too long, that she would remember his friend for the good things, and would track down the bad man who took this kind boy away from the world. He didn’t realise that Louis was praying the opposite; he was the optimist in the situation, praying this was just a bad dream, praying that they would somehow escape, and the man would pay for what he had done. 

 

Those shiny shoes, peeked under the bed, inches from Harry’s snotty nose, the pair stared down at their reflection, afraid of what they looked like, the fear in their eyes scared them, the fear of having their lives taken, fear of being left till last, and having to watch their best friend being killed right in front of them. Harry gave Louis one last look before shutting his tear filled eyes one last time, before it was over completely. 

\---- 

Six whole years, it has been six whole years to date, and Harry still remembers that fateful night as if he was re-living it, every day he walked down the school hall, rushing past Louis and all his football mates, watching the girls swarm around him, giggling and having the time of their lives. It hurt knowing Louis had moved on, he had put their past behind them. Sure he was secretly glad that his old friend was happy, he deserved that happiness, but what he didn’t know, was Louis was still hurting. He couldn’t stand the sight of Harry, the way he just slung in the corner of every room, the way he buried himself in those dark coloured hoodies, with his nose in a stupid book. 

Louis hated Harry’s outlook of life, the way he looked screamed depression, the way he acted made Louis remember what he had fought so hard to forget. The boys had stayed friends through the final years of their childhood, the world couldn’t get enough from their story, the two little boys who survived a sadistic murderer by hiding under a bed, it was golden news according to them, but for the boys it only made it harder to grieve, Louis still had his family, the same family who didn’t understand at all. 

At first they were wary of his feelings, his mother would be almost joined to his hip, double checking he was alright, that was until he snapped, he screamed, kicked and yelled. “I am not fine!” She would never understand what he had gone through, ever. He had his family, but they never treated him the same way again. In a way he lost them the same day Harry lost his. Harry was taken in by his aunt Penelope, she was a sister to his father, a young one at that, with only 15 years between her and Harry, they were more like siblings than anything. She raised him on her own, watched him grow into a young man, watched him struggle, watched him conquer. 

Harry thought the world of his aunt, and although she could never know what it was like that fatal night, she never tried to understand which was what Harry appreciated the most; she was just there when he needed her, and not when he needed to be alone. She was the first to praise him when he came out of the closet, she was the one who comforted him when Louis pushed him away, the boys had remained friends through the interviews, through the memorials and services.

They had remained best friends through the therapy sessions and the times where their classmates boycotted their existence, it wasn’t until eighth grade, the first year of secondary school when Louis started pushing for avoidance, Harry was just too big of a reminder to the pain he had seeping inside of his soul, he couldn’t move on when a part of him was still dragging him down, Harry unfortunately was that very part that he needed to remove. The boys soon drifted far away, Harry slunk into the shadows, spending most nights at the library, or watching bad reruns with Penelope, where Louis was the life of the party, he spent every waking moment with girls hanging off his arms, with people to see and places to go, it didn’t take him long to fit into the it crowd and become the striker on the football team. He didn’t forget though, not completely, there was always the thought in the back of his mind, slinking forward every so often. June 16th; the date that changed his life forever, the string of numbers that haunted him even today.


	2. Bloody Footstep.

Flashes of the scene flooded Harry’s throbbing head as he walked into the school hallway, a light bloody trail followed him as he treaded across the freshly mopped tiles. His trail was a mixture of mud, blood and grass. He hadn’t showered or changed his clothes since the night before, since his boyfriend had dropped him back at his place, to find the flat he shared with his minx of an aunt, crawling with cops, Harry’s heart raced when he left the car, as he shooed Nick away, not wanting him there. 

He walked ever so carefully across the front lawn, he turned back only once to check if he was alone. He followed the crooked footpath over to his front door. Not even bothering to ask a single soul what had gone wrong, the sight before his eyes made him gag, the familiar smell, the familiar feel sent millions of shocking bolts through his entire body. Officer Payne tried his hardest to hold him back but this boy was too determined, forensics gasped as he pulled away that sheet, as his tears fell straight down his cheeks, running across Penelope’s cold, still body. He wanted to scream, he wanted to tell the world what he was feeling but he couldn’t. Instead, he fell. He fell right there straight onto his dead aunt, her chest that was once home to his sobbing, where she usually wrapped her gentle arms around his delicate frame whispering ‘It will be okay’ over and over until he believed it, where her heart would normally hum, as it beat against her chest, that noise, that comfort was gone. 

They were going to drag him away, they were going to pull him off the only family member he had left but Harry just needed a moment, he let his tears absorb in her t-shirt one last time. He wanted to forget the fact that he was now alone, no other family members would take him in, he had nowhere to go, and nobody to see. Harry was completely alone, and this time he wasn’t going to stand alone. This was the reason why he walked the school halls that day, the reason why he was headed in the direction of the one person he needed to see. They hadn’t spoken in years, in fact their only interaction since high school had begun was the when Louis accepted his friend request on facebook back in ninth. 

Louis had made it very clear how he wanted nothing to do with his old friend, he had his reasons, but it didn’t mean it hurt any less. Harry ignored the stares as he kept walking, he was a mess, wearing stained jeans, and his favourite hoodie, the same clothes he had worn the day before, even the stupid grey beanie planted atop of his flattened curls was dirty. You see, after the cops took Penelope away, Harry ran, he ran straight into the shrubbery down the road, he ran around for hours, crying in the rain, digging in the ground searching for answers. None of this made any sense, not the death of his aunt, or the fact that he ran around like a mad man, Harry was certain of one thing though, he knew it was fact. 

This was no coincidence, the murder was without a doubt connected to the one that took place exactly six years prior, that bastard was back, and Harry wasn’t going to let him win again. He singled in on locker 14B, and went in for the kill. He walked straight up to his old friend, stopping right in front of him, waiting for him to notice, it took a while. He was distracted by the things in his locker, but when he turned back around, his expression changed from an eager smile into a fearful frown. Harry tucked his hands inside of his sleeves, scared of the judgment that would arise if Louis spotted his chewed fingernails, like as if that was the only thing wrong with his appearance. Louis took a second to gather his thoughts, before clearing his throat, and taking the plunge. 

“Harry, what’s wrong?” He squeaked, slamming his locker with a muffled bang. His eyes softened as he took in Harry’s lack of hygiene.   
“Har-harry” He repeated, the pain in his voice rang loud and clear. Harry looked up for the first time, staring into those same blue eyes that stared back at him under that bed, Harry stared at him for a second before the words escaped his lips. 

“Penelope is dead,” He spoke so softly it was more like a whisper, Louis’ face dropped ever further than it had when he saw him, he licked his lips, scared of what this meant, was Harry thinking the same as him? Did this mean what he thought it did? He was too scared to move, he wanted to grab that boy and envelope him into a never ending hug.

“He’s back,” Those two words left Harry’s lips like a ton of bricks dropped straight onto Louis’ chest. He grabbed Harry’s arm, pulling him in for a well needed hug. 

“Are you sure?” He whispered, Harry didn’t answer, but Louis felt his head nod, although it was only slight. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” He told Harry, pulling him off in the direction of the gym, they walked in silence, but it was understood between them both that they needed each other, they couldn’t afford to be alone any longer. Louis sat him down on the bench, as he jimmied his gym locker open. 

“The cops said it’s not connected, but it is Louis. I know it is.” Louis nodded, he completely agreed. “What does this mean though, what can we do?” He asked, he felt stupid, he felt like he was letting him down, he felt as though he couldn’t be that boy who saved his life, he didn’t have the strength anymore, and that’s what scared him the most. 

“We need the police reports, we need to prove how they are connected. He is going to get caught this time.” Harry was determined to make him pay, that man ruined his life, and he wanted to ruin his in return. Louis handed him a towel, and a pair of his old gym gear, Harry took them willingly, he needed to wash away all remainders of the night before

. “Liam, I’ll ask him to get us those files. His dad worked the case remember?” Harry nodded. 

“He was there last night.” Louis pulled out his phone from his jean pocket, shooting Liam a message to come and meet them.

“You shower, and I’ll sort this out,” Harry was glad that Louis was taking control, he feared that if it was all up to him, he would snap at the wrong moment. He locked himself into the only lockable shower stalls left, football boys weren’t modest, they all showered in the communal shower, but not Harry, he was praising the lockable door as he slipped his dirty jeans off his skinny legs and neatly folded them on the little bench against the wall. 

He unzipped his hoodie and hung it from the hook along with the towel Louis had loaned him. Louis was pacing the room, when he heard footsteps, accompanied by the shower being turned on. Liam appeared not long after, with a confused expression on his face. Louis ran to him.

“Li, I know this is a lot to ask, and you are going to want to ask questions, but I can’t answer them. Not yet at least, just know that this is important, and I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t life or death.” Liam nodded, taking in all this information and feeling more confused than he had ever been.

“Louis, I have no idea what you are going on about.” He admitted, placing his hands on both sides of Louis’ shoulders.

“I need some police case files.” Louis told him, Liam’s heart sank, he couldn’t, no way. Not only would his dad kill him, but it was also extremely illegal to steal from the evidence files.

“Louis, I can’t!” He started to protest but Louis cut him off.

“Life or death Liam.” He repeated, Liam nodded, he knew how much pain Louis was going with by even mentioning this.

“Which case?” He asked, giving in. Louis was one of his closest friends, he had to at least try and help him out. 

“The Styles’ murder case both of them.” Louis answered, the shower stopped dripping, and Harry began dressing himself in Louis’ gym pants, and shirt. He slipped his own hoodie over the top and walked out to the two boys. 

“…and Penelope Styles too.” He added, Louis had forgotten to mention that part. Liam looked up at Harry, not knowing what to say, they hadn’t been friends, not ever but he did feel sorry for the poor lad. He lost his parents right in front of his eyes, and now his aunt? 

“I will have it by tonight.” Liam promised, before leaving the room, Louis gave Harry a small delicate smile, sizing him up and down with his eyes. 

“Suits you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think so far.


End file.
